SIMPLER TIMES
A VISIT WITH MAMA AND GRANDMA By Charles D. Williams, M.D., FACR, FAAP (“Pedro”) It has been a tradition in South Georgia to periodically visit the burial plots of relatives who have passed on and to make sure the grounds were being kept up and to place some flowers at the grave site. With Mother’s Day coming up, Millard (my Dad) and Pedro decided to visit Mama’s and Grandma’s resting place and take some flowers. Mama loved daisies. When Pedro was a little boy, he’d bring flowers to Mama and say, “Flowers for Mama. Here’s you a bouquet” and she’d hold him close. They weren’t fancy and he’d picked ‘em himself, but over the years they became Mama’s favorite bouquet. Pedro picked up Millard early one Sunday morning and went over to Mama’s cemetery, which was located next to Colquitt Regional Medical Center on the south side of Moultrie. Pedro didn’t know why the hospital and the cemetery were located next to each other. Upon arrival Pedro started walking slowly over to where Mama was resting and looked down. As Pedro stood there he realized how much he missed Mama. He recalled one time when the well went dry, he heard Mama say, “You don’t miss the water until it’s gone” and now here on Mother’s Day, Pedro knew exactly what she meant. Pedro then bent over and placed the flowers and once again said, “Flowers for Mama. Here’s your favorite bouquet.” Millard and Pedro without speaking a word then left to go have a little talk with Grandma. She had been laid to rest next to Grandpa Williams at Big Creek Cemetery south of Coolidge, Georgia. While traveling south on 319, Pedro said to Millard, “We have a lot of relatives without problems, troubles or worries and all of ‘em are equal. Most of ‘em are resting at Hopewell Cemetery.” Millard then said, “When you think you have a lot of problems and troubles, you need to think about that.” Upon arrival at Big Creek Cemetery they started walking toward Grandma’s plot. They passed by one tombstone where the epitaph said “Devoted Family Man”. The epitaph was either lying or the wrong person was in the hole. They then got over to Grandma’s site and realized she still influenced their lives long after she had been gone. She had been a major character in their lives. At that moment Pedro remembered the words of Robert Orr:
Upon standing over Grandma’s grave, a peacefulness set in and it seemed to help Pedro and Millard more than it helped Grandma. Pedro remembered that Grandma turned to family, a higher power, and to humor. She poked fun at herself and at things beyond her control. She said not to make a joke out of life, but a sense of humor would help us tolerate the unpleasant and cope with the unexpected and that it would add balance to the tightrope of life. As he stood there Pedro felt that he could almost hear Grandma asking if he still had on a clean change of underwear. As Millard and Pedro continued to stand there, Pedro said, “Grandma, I made it. I’m a real doctor.” He didn’t have the heart to tell her that he was a Radiologist. He just continued and said, “Grandma, I can now write prescriptions.” Pedro kept thinking back and remembered Grandma telling him over and over to get his education. She pointed out that this would allow him to be himself without folks thinking that he was ignorant or illiterate. Then Pedro remembered that Oleen was told that her son was illiterate. Oleen replied, “That’s a dad-burned lie. My son ain’t illiterate. I was married almost two months before he was born.” Anyhow, Pedro silently thanked Grandma for inspiring, guiding, and prodding him to get his education. By now the sun started goin’ down and Millard and Pedro looked down at Grandmama’s grave and began singing, “In the sweet by and by, we shall meet on that beautiful shore.” Pedro took the low part and Millard took the high part. When it was all finished, Millard turned to Pedro and asked, “When I reach my journey’s end, will you come on Father’s Day and sing a song for me?” Pedro stood there lookin’ directly at Millard with a lump in his throat unable to answer, but Millard already knew the answer and the sun finished goin’ down. Reprinted with author permission from More Simpler Times.
Dr. Williams’ sequel book, More Simpler Times, can be purchased from the Capital Medical Society. All proceeds from the book are donated to the Capital Medical Society Foundation’s We Care Network program. The total sales from his books have raised over $39,000 for the CMS Foundation’s We Care Network.
“They are not dead who live in lives They leave behind In those whom they have blessed They live a life again And shall live through the years.” CAP SCAN - A CAPITAL MEDICAL SOCIETY PUBLICATION
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